Sussex columnist: I danced like nobody was watching at a concert in Brighton – and I'd do it again!

​I’m British, after all, and we are not known for uninhibited freedom of movement.

But as I get progressively not-quite-as-young-as-I-used-to-be (but still feeling like I’m 20 – maybe we should go with ‘young at heart’?!), I realise that life really is short.

And so, when given the opportunity to dance like nobody was watching this week, I decided to grasp it with both hands.

I went to review Tom Grennan when he played at the Brighton Centre on Sunday night. I like his music, but I had no idea just what a fun night it would be.

He is amazing live. He really gets the crowd going and audience participation is almost a must. It was possibly the best gig I’ve ever been to, just for the sheer energy of it.

As a child, I was horrified at the thought of taking part in anything during a show, and that stayed with me a into early adulthood.

But as time goes on, the less I seem to care about making a bit of a fool of myself. Now, I love taking part in singing/clapping/dancing/general merriment.

Okay, when I was dancing and jumping up and down with reckless abandon I might have looked a little bit crazy. And yes, the people sitting/standing behind me may well have seen my shaking my hips and doing some questionable dance moves.

But I’ll likely never see them again, and oh my goodness, it was just so freeing to let go and have fun.

Bonus points: it was great exercise.

And surely double-bonus/cool points for being out until gone 11pm on a Sunday night. That’s hours after I’d normally be tucked under my sofa blanket, surfing Netflix and making a dent in a tub of Cream Egg ice cream.

The only down side was that I didn’t really consider I’d be attempting a world-record for the highest number of elephant-like jumps while at a concert, and I hadn’t dressed accordingly.

Note to self: pleather trousers do not a sensible dancing outfit make.

I was SO hot. And if you want a further unflattering image, just imagine Ross Gellar attempting to put his leather trousers back on after he got hot while on a date, but in reverse (Friends fans, I know you will know what I mean!). Let’s just say that getting changed into my pyjamas when I got home was interesting…

In the spirit of having fun, I was given the opportunity to see Neighbours: The Celebration Tour on Saturday night and I jumped at the chance (that’s a lot of jumping this week!).

I’m a lifelong fan of the show and I was so excited that I’d get to be in the same room as Karl and Susan Kennedy, Paul Robinson, Toadie and more.

Not only did I get to hear behind-the-scenes gossip and fun facts about filming the show, but Fletch (that’s Dr Kennedy to the uninitiated) performed not one, but two songs.

Regular readers might remember my delight when I signed up to his fan club and he sent me a personalised birthday video message – true story!

So you can probably imagine just how brilliant I found it to be there to see the man, the myth, the legend in person.

Is there a better way to end a Saturday night than with the cast of Neighbours singing a mash-up of Thank You for Being a Friend and the Neighbours theme tune? I reckon you’d be hard-pressed to find one.

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Away from concerts and shows, I enjoyed low-key fun with the kids. More time was spent in the Waterwise playground, and we had fun walking along the beach playing on the pebbles.

As much as I love big family outings, and exploring further afield, there’s something quite nice about this time of year, before the madness of ‘days out season’ begins proper.

When it feels more ‘okay’ to stay local and spend a bit more time hanging out at home.

Because life’s all about light and shade, right?!

One minute, you’re acting like you’re auditioning to be Britain’s next-big-thing’s backing dancer, and the next, you’re playing Power Rangers in a drafty seafront park.

I really wouldn’t have it any other way!

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